That’s right, you heard us; it’s the Nexus 10. We have now set into motion things that cannot be taken back…

Step 5

Whenever a new Android device hits the stage, we feel obligated to see how it measures up to the latest iPhone. Let’s have a look-see.

Both phones have their main I/O connector on the bottom, flanked by two screws. For the iPhone, it’s the Lightning connector (Apple proprietary) and two Pentalobe screws (also proprietary). The Nexus 4, on the other hand, wields a micro-USB/SlimPort HDMI port (universal) and two Torx screws (quite common).

Rather than hide the Micro SIM card underneath the battery—a common practice in many phones—LG pushed the Micro SIM slot to the side and included their own stubby SIM eject tool. Very Cupertino.

Step 6

With our newly-acquired SIM card eject tool, we take the first baby step towards dismantling the Nexus 4.

Phew, that was exhausting! With the Micro SIM card tray out, the Nexus 4 slims down to a scant 138.8 grams.

Step 7

After liberating the two T5 Torx screws from their imprisonment, it took a few minutes of diligent work with a plastic opening tool to remove the back cover.

It wasn’t particularly difficult to open this device, but anyone attempting it without the proper prying tool will face a lot of frustration.

Right off the bat we notice that the battery is much harder to replace than in the earlier Galaxy Nexus. This could hurt its repairability score, but it’s still early!

Step 8

The rear cover of most phones is a ho-hum piece of plastic that serves no real purpose other than covering the battery. That is not the case here.

A number of pressure contacts power the NFC antenna and connect the induction coil needed for wireless charging to the motherboard.

With “wireless charging” listed as an official tech spec for the Nexus 4, we were anxious to try it out on our device. Alas, the phone doesn’t ship with a wireless charger. Boo.

Two years ago, Google brought NFC to the smartphone realm with the Nexus S. It’s been a long road, but the technology seems to finally be catching on.

Step 9

Screws hold the battery connector in place.

We make it look easy, but the battery is secured to the case with quite a bit of adhesive, requiring a lot of prying.

Step 10

Eventually, we’re able to pull out the 3.8 V, 2100 mAh battery.

Just like Apple did with the iPhone 5, LG is utilizing a 3.8 V battery to power the Nexus 4.

Unlike Apple, however, LG manufactures their own battery.

Strangely enough, Google doesn’t list any specifications for the battery on their product page. We’ll have to rely on real-world tests to see what kind of battery life users can expect to achieve.

Step 11

The speaker enclosure is held in place with two screws and no cables—spring contacts connect it to the rest of the phone, making its removal a snap.

Bonus points for repairability!

Step 12

Next up is the obtrusive plastic frame covering the motherboard.

With the frame screws removed, the Nexus 4 is officially screw-less. That brings us to a total of only 4 different screw lengths, and 15 screws in total. Here’s how they break down on our Magnetic Project Mat.

Step 13

In addition to providing some support and stability, this frame houses the earpiece speaker and vibrator motor, both of which attach to the motherboard via pressure contacts.

The Nexus 4 uses a linear-oscillating vibrator motor as opposed to the counterweighted rotational vibrator in the iPhone 5.

Step 14

Removing the motherboard requires disconnecting a few connectors.

Overall, the process was pretty painless and required minimal effort.

Step 15

Once the motherboard is free, the rear-facing camera is easily removed.